A lot has been made of the Winnipeg Jets and their performance in the standings versus the so-called advanced statistics. The team sits top-five in the league for points, wins, points per game, and goal differential. Their opponents typically out shoot the Jets at even strength, placing them bottom-ten in Corsi percentage and just outside of the bottom-ten after adjusting somewhat for score-effects.

Are the Jets breaking the trends in hockey we’ve previously observed, or are they doomed for regression? What do these numbers all really mean? The answer lies in better understanding the purpose behind Corsi and other similar statistics.

Corsi as a tool

If there is one thing you learn from reading this article, I hope it is this: Corsi is not everything, but it represents a specific part of the game that still matters for every single team and player.

While the chaotic events and movement in hockey may vary from simple-to-complex, the actual...